Notes from the Air
Today as I took off from Cape Town International Airport, reality really bit. After months of preparation, I was on my way to Australia for at least the next couple of years. This move was something I had planned for many, many years and finally it was happening. Bit moves like this come at a dear price, as those that have gone before me will tell you. The idea of not only leaving my belved wife and two beautiful daughters behind until they join me in November but extended family and dear friends brings a massive lump to my throat. Coupled to this is the leaving of pets behind. I am thankful that my twelve year-old cat has found an amazing home at a good friend's house and apperas to be ruling the roost without much difficulty. Also my parrot is going to a good home next week and I hope and pray that he will adjust quickly. Being an alpha male, he doesn't take to too many people and prefers to focus his attention on one or maximum two people. In Sanchez's case, he only has focussed his attention on me and perhaps our child carer, who has served me loyally for more than ten years. I hope and pray that he takes to his new family quickly and settles in well. My beloved Laney, the family dog for the past two years is still without a home and Cathy will continue to struggle to get her squared away with a loving family. We got Laney from DARG just over two years ago and she has been an amazing family pet - ever loving, ever faithful and always keen for a run up the mountain. I really hope and pray that Laney will find a good home in the next couple of weeks as she so richly deserves to be part of a loving family. I really feel terribly guilty for leaving my pets behind. Words cannot describe the emotions I felt as I walked out of the front door for the last time today.
After saying good bye to my good friend, Julian, who I have known for most of my life and who has been my surfing and mountain biking buddy for many years (Jules I will miss the fun we have had over the years - I loook forward to catching up on one of my returns to South Africa), it was time to bid Ronica a farewell. Ronica has looked after my kids since they were born and I have had the pleasure of knowing her for longer than that, when she was the tea lady for a company I worked for many years ago. Ronica has been the most amazing extension to our family and I will miss her. You could not ask for a more loyal employee who has often gone beyond the call of duty for my family, like nursing my eldest daughter back to health after contracting meningitis when she was just two years old. Ronica is just a very special person and I hope that Cathy is successfull in finding her alternative employment before she leaves for Australia in November. Whatever happens I will return the loalty whilst she finds alternative employment. Please let me or Cathy know if you have friends or family that are either looking for a great family dog or a child carer/ house keeper. They will be lucky - I promise.
So here I am on a flight to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Sydney. I am listening to The Corrs singing their version of the REM classic "Everybody hurts" and the melancholy of leaving Cape Town, family, friends, and pets behind stays with me. If anybody thinks this is an easy, they are kidding. If you ever shoose to make a move, be prepared emotionally.
It does not help that I am lacking sleep as I have been running my tail off for the last couple of days as emotions run high, especially when you are tired.
So it's off to Sydney I go. Exciting times lay ahead with new challenges in store on both the business and personal front.
Who knows what tomorrow brings. - let's wait and see.
For now, I bid my friends and family a heartfelt farewell. I miss you guys aleady. For those that I didn't see before I left, please stay in touch and catch me on Skype when the opportunity avails (skype: mrpeterwilson).
As the sun sets somewhere over the Indian Ocean, it's time to rest. Until the next instalment, so long.
Peter
BTW excuse the grammar and spelling as I churned this out on the plane
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